Roadside Assistance in Muskoka

• Roadside assistance

  On-the-spot help for the common problems that don't always need a tow truck bed.

• Battery boost

  Boost for a vehicle that won't crank — common on cold Muskoka mornings and after a car sits at the cottage.

• Flat tire assistance

  Spare tire installed roadside, or a tow to a tire shop when there's no usable spare.

• Vehicle lockout assistance

  Help getting back into a vehicle when the keys are locked inside.

• Fuel delivery

  Enough fuel to reach the next station — useful on the longer stretches between Muskoka towns.

Muskoka is hard on batteries. Cold snaps drain them, and vehicles left at a cottage for weeks between visits often won't crank when the owner returns. A boost usually gets the engine running in minutes. If it dies again as soon as the cables come off, the battery or charging system is finished and a tow to a garage is the honest next step rather than a second boost.

A flat gets your spare mounted roadside where there's a usable spare and safe space to work. Many newer vehicles carry only a sealant kit, in which case the vehicle goes to a tire shop instead — worth mentioning when you call so the right truck comes out.

Lockouts are common at trailheads, boat launches and marina lots, where keys end up inside with the doors shut. Fuel delivery covers enough to reach a station, which matters on the longer stretches — Highway 141 through Utterson, Highway 117 out to Baysville and the roads north of Dwight have few pumps after hours.

Winching is the other frequent Muskoka call: a wheel over the edge of a gravel shoulder, a car in a snowbank after a squall off Georgian Bay, or a vehicle sunk into a soft driveway in spring. Tell the dispatcher how far off the road the vehicle sits and whether it's on a slope or near water, since that decides the equipment sent.

If the vehicle can't be recovered safely or isn't drivable afterwards, it can be towed instead — see Muskoka towing.

A roadside call makes sense when the vehicle is basically sound and one thing is stopping you: a flat battery, a flat tire with a usable spare, keys shut inside, an empty tank, or a wheel off the edge of a shoulder. Those are normally sorted where the vehicle sits, and you drive away yourself.

A tow is the better call when the engine won't run after a boost, the vehicle won't shift or steer, there's no usable spare, a collision was involved, fluid is leaking, or the vehicle is damaged after coming off the road. If you're unsure, describe what happened on the phone — it's quicker to send the right truck once than the wrong one twice. See towing in Muskoka and vehicle recovery in Muskoka. Towing calls use the towing number shown on those pages; roadside calls use the roadside number on this one.

Calls are handled throughout Muskoka, including Bracebridge, Huntsville, Gravenhurst, Port Carling, Bala, Windermere, Port Sydney, Baysville, Dwight, Utterson and Severn Bridge. Availability depends on how many trucks are out; you'll be given a realistic time when you call.

• Battery boost

  Slow crank, clicking or no dash lights at all.

• Flat tire assistance

  Spare fitted, or a tow to a tire shop.

• Car lockout help

  Keys locked in the cabin or the trunk.

• Fuel delivery

  Enough fuel to reach the next station.

• Bracebridge roadside help

  Town centre, Highway 11 and Highway 118.

• Huntsville roadside help

  Highway 11 north and Highway 60.

• Gravenhurst roadside help

  Highway 11 south and the wharf area.

• Muskoka Lakes roadside help

  Bala, Windermere and lake roads.